Welcoming Fat Joe to the State of the Union

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my guest for the State of the Union. He is a leader in the fight to make healthcare more affordable and equitable.

Fat Joe is a Grammy-nominated artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is also a partner with Power to the Patients, to advocate for healthcare price transparency.

Confusing health information, language barriers, and lack of insurance are challenges that make our healthcare system difficult to navigate, especially for communities of color.

Because of high out-of-pocket costs, insured patients can still face enormous medical bills, and uninsured patients are more likely to face unnecessary hospital fees.

Healthcare is the only service where someone does not know the cost until after you purchase it, until after receiving the healthcare services. We must remove barriers that restrict families from getting care, including knowing your costs up front.

This builds upon the work of President Biden and House Democrats to put people over politics, to lower the cost of healthcare coverage and lower drug prices.

Fat Joe's work to highlight the need for price transparency is necessary to reduce healthcare costs for American families. I am proud to welcome him back to the Capitol as my guest. Full Funding for WIC

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud and support the full funding of WIC in the fiscal year 2024 budget.

For 50 years, WIC has delivered quality nutrition benefits and breastfeeding support for almost 10 million American families, including almost 1 million pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children in California.

As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I hear stories every day of how essential WIC is to Latino families in America, with more than 6 million Latino women and children enrolled.

Last year, the Hispanic Caucus joined the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democratic Women's Caucus to send a letter to congressional leadership to urge them to fully fund WIC.

For months, House Republicans insisted on harmful funding cuts, which put women and children's health at risk. House Democrats worked tirelessly for a $1 billion funding increase to meet the basic needs of the program.

This week, House Democrats were successful in our efforts. Moms and their babies and pregnant women who rely on WIC can breathe a sigh of relief. Their access to their benefits will continue.

House Democrats will continue to keep up the fight in Congress toward an America where no one goes hungry.

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